Surgeon: No playoffs for Amaré

HOUSTON - The out-for-the-season diagnosis for forward Amaré Stoudemire initially left a sliver of hope that the Suns star could return for the playoffs should they qualify.

Out means out. And "season" means, "See you next season."

"Not this season, not at all," said Dr. Pravin Dugel, the Valley eye surgeon who operated on Stoudemire's detached retina two weeks ago. "The Suns have the same goal - to make sure he can resume his career.

"It's very difficult to explain to anyone how serious this is. It's more serious than any knee or ankle surgery. The healing is excruciatingly slow and delicate."

Stoudemire suffered multiple tears, new and old, and had a "very large" and "traumatic" retina detachment with blood in his right eye at the time of surgery. There was hope of a return to activity in eight weeks, but Dugel said the recuperation could take months.

"Now it's a matter of just waiting for his body to resorb the fluid," Dugel said. "So far, it's resorbing slowly."

The only way to accelerate resorbing of the thick fluid is through surgery, which would require a gas bubble that could cause a cataract.

Stoudemire visits Dugel twice a week, and they speak often. Stoudemire wants to attend Suns games, but Dugel has not allowed it because it is dangerous for his eye to be susceptible to any jarring.

Rockets update: Houston (39-23) has won 10 home games in a row and is 11-4 since Jan. 31. The Rockets are seventh in scoring defense (94.8 ppg for opponents) and sixth in defensive field-goal percentage (44.9). Ron Artest has struggled with his shooting this season but has hit 17 of 27 3-pointers in the past four games, averaging 22.3 points. Aaron Brooks became the starting point guard after Rafer Alston was traded.